


Book One: Earth

by Solo2814



Series: The Story of Sai [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: First Avatar, Gen, I hope, Not A Sue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-06-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 23:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solo2814/pseuds/Solo2814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even circles have a start. </p><p>The First Avatar must forge the path for all others to follow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - The End

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a Sue. I think. She whines too much for that. 
> 
> I know Korra is going to do this when ever the next season comes out. I just had this idea out my head before that. 
> 
> Comment on anything you like or hate. I appreciate the help.

The deep wet coughs splattered against the cavern walls. Sai rested her heavy head on the smooth stone lip of the bed. Grandmother had fallen ill a week ago. Sai had sat beside her for all that time. But not one of her balms or potions had even made Grandmother comfortable. Death loomed like a shadow.

“How about a story Grandmother?” Sai said with forced cheer. “It always makes me feel better.”

Grandmother didn’t respond, just sank like she couldn’t support the weight of her own body anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Sai began, “Long ago, when the Loin-Turtles roamed, the world was… was…” her voice cracked.

She couldn’t speak. A lump she just couldn’t swallow blocked her throat. Her Grandmother was her only family, the only thing she had left in the world.  
"I can't lose her." she thought

A withered hand came up to stroked her face. She grabbed it and held on with all her might.

“Sai, stop that,” Grandmother rasped gently. “Don’t cry for this old bird. My time has long passed. You have to stand on your own now.”

“I don’t know how,” Sai whispered

“No one ever does. But you’ll find your way. I know you’re destined for great things, Sai. You have strength inside you, more than you have ever known.”

She said nothing, just squeezed Grandmother’s hand. Hours passed and she did not let go. Not when Grandmother stopped coughing. Not when she could no longer see the rise and fall of Grandmother’s chest. Not when Grandmother’s hand became icy cold. Finally as sole lamp guttered, Sai reached over and closed Grandmother’s eyes for the last time. 

Sai stood, her joints stiff and painful after hours of confinement, and stumbled to tree just outside her home. Dropping to her knees, she dug into the ground beneath the tree with her bare hands. As she dug, memories of the ones she had loved, the ones she had lost, bubbled up into her mind. Her Grandmother, wise and constant. Her sister, beautiful and kind. The few, faded memories of her parents. All of them were gone now. She was alone.

She took the stone knife from the house and carefully carved Grandmother’s name into the tree. She stood and returned to the place that no longer felt like her home. The strings of silver bells hung across the entrance chimed in familiar rhythm when she walked through them. 

Sai stared at the cave she lived in for sixteen years. Her fingers ran across the paintings of Spirits and legends that adorned the walls. The colors were chipped and faded, almost unreadable. Grandmother had spent many nights lulling her and Jai Li to sleep with her stories. She touched her own face. Her fingers came away dripping with tears. She felt nothing inside. No hope or relief. No fear or sadness. Not even as she looked at the very spot where Grandmother had taken her last breathe. She wasn’t home anymore. She didn’t belong here. Sai began to strip the beds with earnest precision. The mattresses and bedding went into the stone box hidden deep within the cave. For more than three hours, she worked by the meager light of the fire, storing the remains of her life into the box: clothes, plants, medicines, the few battered heirlooms, and the workings of Grandmother’s craft.

There was no trace of her life left when she was done. The cave might have been abandoned for years. She kicked dirt over the smoldering embers and left that place with a shaking but determined. She didn’t spare a glance for the crude square of damp earth cut into the clearing. She marched straight up to the cliff, than stopped at the very edge and took one last look at the world. The sunset painted the sky with pale oranges and reds. The sea stretched out for miles before it washed against the shore a thousand feet below. It was breathtaking. The tears continue to run down her face as she fixed the sight in her mind. With a deep breath, Sai closed her eyes and stepped into the open air.


	2. Prologue - The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai meets a most unusual person.

“Wake up. Please Sai,” the voice said, edging terror. “For the love of the Spirits, Wake up!” 

Sai opened her eyes and felt a vague alarm drain from her chest as her dream faded from her mind. The paper umbrella that Jai Li was holding kept the sun out of Sai’s eyes and off of her sister’s fair skin. Sai was   
lying on her back, her head resting uncomfortably on her heavy bundle of firewood. Jai Li looked down at Sai with a look of deep concerned. 

“What…What are you doing here, Jai Li?” Sai stuttered.

Jai Li relaxed slowly. “You took so long to get the firewood. I wanted to make sure you didn’t get eaten by one of those animals you’re always playing with.” 

Sai stared at her dumbfounded, “You’re gonna get me in trouble for that.” She said weakly.

Jai Li sat primly on a tree root, crossing her tiny feet. “It’s not my fault you fell asleep.” She teased.

Sai frowned at her. As usual, Jai Li was completely oblivious to how serious things were. Jai Li was the pretty one. She had to stay inside, to protect her looks. Sai was the worker in the family. Everything about   
them made that clear. Jai Li was tiny and delicate, a moon pale girl with face of gentle curves and full, small mouth. The picture of a proper young woman. Sai was hardy; tanned, calloused and muscular from her years of labor. Her own face was hard and angular with heavy cheekbones and jaw. Sai’s hair was course and wiry, the color of old dirt. Jai Li had a smooth curtain of brown-black water for her hair. The one thing that they shared was their eyes: large, round and color of dark jade. They fit her sister perfectly. Sai always thought they looked comical in her hard face.

Not for the first time, she felt a pang of jealousy. Their parents had named Jai Li for those eyes, claimed that she would be as lovely as jade. Every time Sai heard that she wondered what her parents had thought when they named her after a farm tool. It wasn’t fair. Jai Li was almost five years older than her, but she was the one to get all the easy chores. She stayed inside all day, cooking, cleaning and clacking away on her loom while Sai fetched the firewood and water in all kind of weather and memorized every plants and folk story Grandmother set before her. Jai Li was the one who would marry a rich landowner and live without a care for the rest of her life while Sai labored as a Wise Woman. All because Jai Li was the pretty one.

Jai Li just keep smiling at her, unaware of the toxic thoughts floating through Sai’s head, “Come on,” She bubbled, “Let’s get back before Gran-Gran worries.” 

Sai rolled her eyes at the nickname and got to her feet. She let her anger melt away. It wasn’t Jai Li’s fault she was pretty. Grudges were pointless when work needed to be done. Instead, she hauled the heavy   
bundle higher onto her back. Jai Li looked worried as Sai struggled to right herself. 

“Maybe, I should help you with that?” She asked. She made no move to help. 

Sai shook her head. Jai Li’s betrothed would have her beaten if she ruined his new wife’s hands. Jai Li nodded and carefully rose, looping her arm through Sai’s. Jai Li lead the way with her tiny, graceful steps. It would take forever to get home, but Sai was more than happy to go slow. The forest was her favorite place in the world. She could always lose herself in the warm, gentle air, the bright slants of sunlight tinted green by the canopy of leaves, the feeling of the damp earth on her feet, the fragrant flowers that scented the air.

“Sai, What were you dreaming of?” Jai Li asked, snapping Sai out of her daze. 

Sai looked sidelong at Jai Li. Jai Li looked back at her, her dark green eyes unusually serious. Sai felt tension coil in her shoulders, thoughts of the dream coming back to her. 

“Why would you want to know that?” Sai asked nervously.

Jai Li stopped and gently cupped her cheek. “Because you were terrified and I want to know why.”

Sai turned back to home, “It’s not important.”

“It is important.” Jai Li said, grabbing Sai’s arm. Her grip was stronger than she remembered. 

Sai carefully studied her shoes, “I dreamed you died.” Sai felt her throat close as Jai Li’s grip loosen. Her next words were barely a whisper. “You and Grandmother. I couldn’t stand it. I tried to kill myself.”

This was met with true silence; even the wind had stopped blowing. Sai was envious of Jai Li but not like that. She wanted to be like her sister, not kill her. She didn’t have to look at her to see that Jai Li was   
shocked. 

“It was just a dream.” Sai said brokenly, still not looking at Jai Li.

“Would you do it again?” Jai Li asked quietly. “If it hadn’t been?”

Sai glanced at Jai Li over her shoulder; Jai Li had never sounded so serious.

“But it was, so it’s not important.” Sai retorted, turning her back.

Jai Li grabbed Sai and spun her, so they were standing face to face. The firewood hit the ground and scattered. She pressed Sai’s arms so tight to her sides; she swore she could feel the bruises bloom across her   
skin. 

“Answer me, Sai.” Jai Li said. Her voice was low, calm and clear but more forceful than Sai had ever heard.

Sai felt something creep up her chest, constricting. This wasn’t like Jai Li, the sweet, reserved girl who could barely carry a basket. She stared at Sai now, her face set in hard, unyielding lines. Her hands were stone claws. Even her eyes changed, a fathomless purple so dark it was almost black. It was like something had stepping into the shell of her sister’s body.

“Yes or No, Sai.” She said slowly. “Would you choose to live or die?”

Sai fought to control herself, reliving the dream; the sucking void in her heart, the whipping wind as she fell, horrific pain when her body meet the water.

“Yes or No!” Jai Li yelled angrily.

Sai fought to think, to breathe, to do anything. She felt like she was being crushed, frozen, and drowned.

Jai Li’s voice dropped to a whisper, “Life or death, Sai, Life or death.”

She choked, her heart thudding in her chest, the words stumbling out,

“I WANT TO LIVE!”

Sai woke with the salt water stinging her eyes and began to flail uselessly through the water. Her aching body told her this was no dream. Her lungs burned as she fought to hold her breathe. A hundred feet   
above her the moon glittered coldly, mocking her. The pressure built in her chest. She felt something huge and hard under her, pushing her up to the surface. She was nearly crushed flat against it as she was speed to the surface. It broke the water with a crash that resounded in her ears.

Sai was down on her hands and knees, retching water and grabbing great lungful of air. When she had stopped, her head fell on her back, tear-filled eyes staring at the unfamiliar stars. Her body was one giant bruise, throat burned from coughing and salt water, and the early spring air was so cold it almost burn. She had never in her life felt so happy. When her breathing had calmed, she considered what was beneath her. She felt her eyes travel up the huge field of golden scales up the enormous arm to the beast that held her. She blinked as her mind rejected what her eyes saw. Then her heart leapt into her throat. The beast that held her in its claw was a Lion-Turtle.

As a child, Grandmother had told her tales about Lion-Turtles, Grandmother had said They were the oldest beings in the world, as ageless as the stars and wise beyond measure. They also only appeared to those   
They judged worthy. She had never believed them. They were just stories. Yet here was one cupping her in His paw. Sai gazed up at him in awed. His eyes searched her face carefully, looking for something. He gently nodded and spoke.

“You have suffered your greatest loss. The life you have lived for sixteen years is over. But do not despair. For just as Spring is born from the depths of Winter, your new life begins today. Start at the mountains   
that divide two cities. Only the highest peak, will you find what you seek.”

Carefully, He set her on a rocky cliff. As Sai stood, level with His eyes, the Lion-Turtle spoke once more.

“The road before you is long. It will lead you to many places and connect with many others. But one you can choose where it will lead.”

Sai was mesmerized. His voice was deep, soothing, and commanding. His golden head practically blazed against the starry sky. She barely noticed when the Lion-Turtle raised His paw and touched two claws   
gently to her heart and forehead. Brilliant green light blazed and Sai felt warmth flood her body. Then the darkness enveloped her once more.


	3. Jaing City

Sai opened her eyes to the golden dawn and unstuck her cheek from the dewy grass. Picking herself up, she felt a chasm opened in her belly. She remembered, everything. Grandmother, the cliff, everything. She fell to her knees, hands clasped over her thundering heart. She had spoken to a Lion-Turtle.

A Lion-Turtle!

Her mind tried to deny it had been real but Sai knew that it was, with every fiber of her being.

Sai tried to steady herself with a breath. She knew one thing. To ignore what such a divine being had told her would be beyond foolish. She would find the mountain that divided two cities. She would look for it for years. She would scour every land. She would find the Mountain if it took the rest of her life.

She turned around and found herself looking at an enormous mountain range. On either side, stood a ramshackle village. A rough path before her cut straight through the plains and cities to the tallest mountain in the range. No more than a day’s walk from here.

“That was easy.” She thought.

She rose to her feet and began to walk.

Nothing along the road was familiar to her. Where ever she was, it was a long way from home. Home was a cave, a rich forest, a clean lake to play in. The earth here was scared and broken. Every mark of old pain echoed in her heart. Her mouth burned with the taste of salt and ash. With no trees to soften it, the sun scorched her eyes. Strange as it was, she felt better than yesterday. She had something to work on and work had always soothed her.

It was midday before she finally encountered another person. It was a ragged adult and child. Both were filthy and starved, and both had long, lined faces of the hopeless. The adult was scratching at the ground while the child sat on a flat rock.

Her approaching footsteps made the child look up. He stared at her with enormous black eyes. They were gummy and sad. Sai smiled tentatively at him, and he grinned back. Most of his teeth were missing. He held out a bowl. The liquid inside looked milky brown, but it smelled clean. Just as she reached out to take it, a rock hit her squarely in the shoulder. The adult was watching her with weary eyes, another stone held in his hand. The message was clear. Go away. She backed away hands held out, and dashed down the road, as far away from those sad, empty eyes as she could.

The closer to the village, the more people she encountered. Most men and all the women and children wore the same frayed tunics in shade of brown or grey. Several of the young men wore matching dark brown uniforms with thick leather armor. A stylized bird graced the back of their shirts. The sun glinted off their armor and weapons. One and all strutted down the road like overbred roosters. Beggars flinched away from them. But every person, soldier and citizen, watched on Sai with suspicion eyes.

Late in the afternoon, she arrived in the village to the west of the mountains. On every street she walked down shutters closed and people ducked into doorways. She knew she must be a sight; salt crusting her skin and her hair matted and tangled. Paired with her pale green dress, she could understand why they avoided her.

_“I had better find some way to blen…”_

Sai smacked right into wall of people and fell flat.

 _“Clever.”_ She told herself.

Mindfully, she stood and peered over the crowd. A company of the armored men were lined up on a platform. Their leader stood at the front, checking a slab with lines etched into it. He was very old, judging by his long white bread and lined face. He was maybe even as old as Grandmother, but he was still tall and broad shouldered. His uniform was better crafted, the weave finer and the embroideries smooth. His bone and leather armor and stone sword were scarred but well-taken care of.

“That’s General Rong.”

Sai jumped and spun around. Directly behind her, a young man stood. He was nothing special; A little taller than her, black hair, brown eyes, with a long face. He carried not sword or armor, just a thin Blackglass dagger. He was not as well dressed as the soldiers but far better than any of the peasants.

“What makes you think I didn’t know that?” Sai asked haughtily.

He remained expressionless as he looked at her, but Sai thought she saw something sparkle, deep in his eyes.

“The look of confusion gave it away. General Rong is the local warlord.” The man scoffs “He offers protection of the people from King Tai Yang, the ruler of Yangtze village across the mountain.”

He must haveseen her confusion. “The people of Yangtze Village and this village, Jiang, have been at war for more than five generations.”

On the platform, the General began to speak. Sai was far enough not to hear the words. Slowly ordinary people brought up bags half full of grain or rice or withered looking animals. Some families had no food but left their sons and daughters among the possessions claimed by Rong’s army.

Sheng eyed the soldiers with disgust. “He says he’s the only thing that protects these people but I think he’s just a thug.”

The man turned his back on it and Sai, shaking his head in disgust, and walked away. Sai watched him go, bewildered.

Almost causally, he said over his shoulder, “Be careful. These men will eat a little country girl alive if you run into them alone. And by the way, I’m Sheng.”

Sai looked between the soldiers and Sheng until her head spun. But she could not make any sense of it. With one last stolen glance, she ducked her head and hurried, out of the village and into the mountains.


	4. The Tunnel

Sai was surrounded in the green womb of the forest. It amazed her that such calm beauty could exist just a few miles from the horror of the city. Even though it was far from home, the plants and trees were familiar. She sent a silent thanks to Grandmother for making her learn about plants and animals. The water was clear and sweet and washed the salt from her mouth. As she walked, she scrounged up some berries and nuts. It was comforting to know that at least she could understand the land; even if she could not understand anything else. She sat at the foot of a great tree, eating, and finally allowed her mind to wonder.The Lion-Turtle’s words returned to her.

“On the highest peak I will find what I seek. What do I seek? What in the world could he have meant?” Sai shook off the thought. “There’s no use wondering. I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”

The sun just touched the horizon when she reached the base of the mountain. A steep cliff of rock rose to the heavens. She looked up to peak and felt the blood drain from her face. It would take weeks to get to the top. How could she even climb it? The closest path was at least twice as high as the tallest trees. She backed up; hoping to see a handhold or something. There was nothing. She walked along the foot of the mountain. Panic was starting to bloom in her chest.

_“No, No, NO! The Lion-Turtle wouldn’t lie, would He?”_

_“He might. Even Spirits lie.”_ Some small part of her whispered. _“If He was even there at all.”_

She started to run. Fast. As if she could outrace her traitorous thoughts. The pain Sai had buried was welling up. She started to cry silently. So long as she had focused on the path before her, the pain had faded. Now it returned full force. It hit her like the impact on the water. She had lost everything now. Her family, her home, now her trust in the Spirits. She was completely alone, lost in a strange land with no way to get home. She stood stock still, hiccupping and trying to get ahold of herself. She had to think.

**THUD!**

The sudden noise jarred Sai from her misery and sent her stumbling to its source. Fifty paces back, a gaping hole was set into the side of the mountain. It hadn’t been there before she was sure. The hole was at least twice as wide as she was tall. She would have to be blind to miss it. Where had it come from? Sai walked to the entrance and ran a hand over the rough stone. It wasn’t weathered at all. It was like a section of the stone just suddenly dropped away.She looked into the cave. It was more of a tunnel. The air inside was cold and damp. It smelled like darkness and hidden things. With a deep breath, Sai walked into the side of the mountain.

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She was just a few steps into the tunnel when the light dimmed to and the crystals started to glow. The steady green-blue light guided Sai through the labyrinth of tunnels. Without them, she would have wondered endlessly until she died. That didn't stop the sence of wrongness them gave her. They were only on the ceiling of the tunnel, in lines too straight for natural formation. Someone had put them there. The crystals lead her to a large chamber that was half natural cave and half carved rooms. The glowing crystals rose above her as tall as century-old trees.

Sai stared, awe and fear mixing in her mind. Who, or What, could have done this? Looking around she saw there were only two options: Go back the way she had come or continue on to the tunnel set between two long, flat slabs of solid rock. With only a moment’s hesitation, Sai walked between the slabs and through the mountain. The tunnel curled in a lazy circle. Sai walked the path, every step increasing the tightness in her chest. She could see thin rays of light coming around the bend. She was finally going to see where everything that had happen would lead.

Sai finally stepped out into sunlight. She was on the very peak of the mountain. The world lay spread before her. Mountains changing from green to tan to gray and fading into the horizon. The sun, dipped low in the western sky, painted the world with soft warmth. The sky was so close it seemed to rest on the peaks. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A sharp crack snapped Sai back to reality. Before she could react, the ground turned to mush. Her knees were already stuck fast and the ground just kept pulling her in. In a breath, her arms and chest were encased. Sai tried to move but a second later only her head was above ground. She screamed as the Earth swallowed her whole.


	5. The Peak

Sai awoke to arguing voices. She knew there were two of them: a man and woman. The man sounded gravely and hoarse like he’d been screaming but his tone was soothing. The woman’s voice tinkled like the bells Grandmother had used to ward off evil. She sounded furious.

“I don’t care want she wants. She was following you. We should have just left her buried.” The woman said.

“She could have been lost. She couldn’t have known about our bending. No one does.” The man answered.

“Bending?”

The woman snapped at the man. “And we agreed to keep it that way. You and I both know what would happen if either of our cities found out. Not just about the bending. I’m a Panda Lily of the Sun Court. You’re a Jing for Rong.”

Sai was feeling rather confused at this point.

“You know what would happen if someone…” The woman states coldly.

“If you really want to keep that a secret, you might not want to say these things when our little shadow is awake and listening.” The man interrupted offhandly.

Sai sat bolt upright. The sun was high in the sky. Blinking furiously, she looked for the man and woman. The man was sitting with his legs crossed on an improbably placed rock while the woman stood stiffly beside him. Both were staring straight at her.

“Well,” the man said calmly “Why don’t you tell us why you were following me?”

Sai swallowed. They were intimidating. The man was huge, shirtless and shoeless. He wore the uniformed pants of one of the soldiers Sai had seen in the village. His tanned skin rippled with muscles and scars; His face looked like a mashed up rock, one eye milky white.

“Well,” the woman said not so calmly. “Why did you come here?” She demanded.

She was intimidating in a different way. The woman was easily the most beautiful woman Sai had ever seen, more beautiful than her sister. Long, black hair shone like fireglass and was intractably knotted with black and white flowers woven into it. Her tunic dress was the same pale green as her eyes. Her lovely face, painted bone white with her lips and eyelids stained black as her hair, was set in a fierce snarl. The man put a hand on the woman’s arm.

“Pease, Oma. You’re scaring the girl.” He said.

“She should be scared, Shu!” the woman, Oma, hissed back.

The man, Shu, shrugged, “Let’s hear her story before we do anything drastic.”

“Fine” Spat Oma. She turned to Sai “So, girl, tell us your story and make it quick.”

Sai took a shuttering breath. Both Oma and Shu looked at her.

“I am not from around here.”

Oma snorted.

“My name is Sai. I came from Hew Sin province, just outside Xiang. I lived in the caves there with my parents, sister, and Grandmother.”

Shu furrowed his brow “Hew Sin. That’s a good five weeks from here. How’d you get here?”

Sai blushed, “Ummm.” Shu waved her on. “I used to live with my family. My mother fell off a cliff when I was five. My father was drafted by King Cheng a few months later. My sister disappeared three years after we got his death notice. Grandmother and I were all that was left.”

Oma glared at her. Get to the point was her silent demand.

“Until Grandmother got sick. She died just a few days ago.” Sai stumbled.

“I couldn’t… couldn’t bear losing the last member of my family. So I threw myself off the cliff near my home. I wanted to be with them, in the afterlife. Only, I was saved by a…”

Sai paused. She looked at Oma and Shu.

_“Would they believe me?”_ she thought.

“I was saved by a Lion-Turtle.”

Oma stiffen and Shu leaped to his feet.

“You’re lying. There’s no such thing as a Lion-Turtle.” Oma shrieked at Sai. “Even if there was such a thing, it would never speak to such a lowly peasant.”

Shu stroked his sandy beard. “Don’t mind Oma. She doesn’t put much stock in legends.” He stated gently. “Please, go on with the story.”

Sai continued, “The Lion-Turtle carried me to the cliff outside town. He told me to go the tallest mountain that separate two cities. That I would find something to help me there. Please, is there something He could have meant here? Do you know what He meant?”

Oma glared at Shu, who looked back her blankly. Something, heavy and unsaid, passed between them. Shu sighed, “I sorry, Sai. I don’t think we can help you.”


	6. The Earthbender

Sai sat, knees to her chin, staring at the fire before her. Oma and Shu had disappeared into the tunnels as soon as their conversation had ended. Shu’s words still rolled around her head.

I don’t think we can help you.

She had come all this way, for nothing. She could only survive on this mountain so long. Her food might run out. Someone could spot her and tell the soldiers. Without her heavy winter clothes or any shelter besides the cave, she’d freeze to death once autumn came.

The flames flickered in the moonlight, distracting her from thoughts of doom. As she gazed, Sai could see something ripple through it. Shapes that shifted and changed. Grandmother said that Fire was flighty but when it choose to it had a powerful wisdom all it own. She got to her knees, her hand reaching out to touch it.

“I wouldn’t do that.” A voice said behind her.

Sai stiffen. She turned around to see Shu, in full uniform, leaning against a tree.

“I imagine that would burn.” He continued. “Here,” He hefted a pack.

“I know you can get food on your own but there are some things you might need in there. Clothes, bedroll, water skin, and a little medicine.” He sat down, tossing it to her.

Sai caught the pack nimbly and set it in her lap.

“What are you doing here?” Sai asked, suspicious “I thought you said you couldn’t help me.”

Shu shrugged “I lied. Oma and I swore we’d never tell anyone. We didn’t think anyone else could learn it” he started tugging at his sandy beard again. “But if a Lion-Turtle told you to come here…” he frowned.

Sai’s heart pounded “It did.” She pleaded, “I wasn’t lying.”

“I know,” Shu nodded, “Strange as it seems, I can always tell when someone lies. Oma swore up and down you were mad but I believe you need to learn.”

She gulped, almost too hopeful to speak, “Learn what?”

Shu looked at her; his face hard as stone, “Earthbending.”

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“I didn’t see this part of the caves before.” Sai stated.

Darkness had swallowed them; the crystal in Shu’s hand offering only a small dome of light in the void. Shu had stripped off his armor but still wore the under padding. Sai was wearing the tan man’s tunic and pants Shu had gotten for her. They were both barefoot.

“You wouldn’t. Oma and I sealed them off. This is where we learned how to Earthbend.” Shu said, and then grinned, his crooked teeth flashing. “And you will too if I have anything to say about it.”

“You still haven’t even explained what Earthbending is.” Sai grumbled.

Shu smiled took on a wicked glint, “First lesson, an Earthbender must be patient.”

“Patient for what?” she thought.

She wiggled her bare toes on the icy floor. “And I had to take off my sandals?"

“Because the more of you that’s in contact with the Earth the better.” He replied

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

Shu stopped, one hand jutted out to stop her. He stooped down and placed a hand flat on the ground. The crystal light played off his face, making his scars seem darker and deeper and his sightless eye almost glow. A strange calm had washed over his face.

“Come on,” he said as he took off at a run, “It’s this way.”

Shu dashed ahead of her. Sai barely kept on his heel as he ran down tunnels and took sharp turns with no warning. For a mountain of a man, he was surprisingly agile. Only the glow of the crystal saved her from getting lost. She all but smacked into him when Shu finally came to a stop. She peered at the darkness, trying to see what had Shu grinning like a child with fresh kaki jam.

“So,” she began a question, but stopped.

A deep rumbling shook the cave. Earth tremors had shaken Sai’s village once when she was very young. This felt exactly like that. The wall on the far cracked and bulged. Centuries old rocks gave way like soft mud as sharp claws dug into them. A creature as big as a house pushed its way out of the wall and into the tunnel. It had a thick, humped body covered in brown fur. A thick, hairless tail whipped around its backside, sending boulders the size of Ostrich-Horses flying. Its footsteps sounded like war drums, thundering in Sai’s ears. She was half-ready to bolt out of here.

Shu, sensing her fear, placed a hand on her shoulder. He reached inside his cloak for a small bag. He untied it and placed the contents, A few wild apples, on the ground. Shu stood and backed away quickly. The creature raised its short snout in the air, sniffing for the sweet smell. Shu pushed her back, giving the animal room to eat the treats. He came forward again, carefully. The creature allowed him to approach while it ate its food. Shu held out a hand for it to sniff than, gently, placed a hand on between the animal’s eyes. He gestured for Sai to come closer to the beast. Shu stepped as side as she approached the beast. Her breathing rang in her ears as she touched the creature gently. Its head jerked up, snapping needle sharp teeth. Sai stared into a pair of solid brown eyes. The beast was blind. Shu nodded for Sai to try again.

This time she held out her hand as Shu had done and let the animal catch her scent. It took a great sniff of her and dipped its head again. Sai placed one hand on the animal’s head. Its fur was white and black here and warm to the touch. It continued to feed as she stroked it. When the last apple disappeared, she backup besides Shu and watched the animal. It shook its fur back into place and licked the juice from its lips.

Carefully, it waddled over to the far wall on its shovel wide feet. It moved along the wall, looking or sensing for something Sai could not find. Settling in place, it brought its forepaws together and moved them apart in a practiced motion. The wall before it opened a path. The beast looked back once more and disappeared down the tunnel. Shu turned back to Sai. She was frozen in place, eyes wide. Shu looked at her, smiling,

“That is Earthbending. Oma and I meet in these caves. We both came here looking for solace and found the Giant Badger-Moles instead. Following them around, we picked up on some things. Oma and I have been using Earthbending to create the passage through the mountains.”

“And you never told anyone about this?” Sai squeaked.

Shu shrugged. “I wanted to at first. I wanted to open a school where anyone could try to learn. But Oma talked sense into me. She didn’t want to know what would happen if Rong or Tai Yang found out.”

Sai gulped as she imagined all the horrors that could arise. “You’d be killed.”

He shook his head “At best. At worst, Rong and Tai Yang would be able to take their blood fuel to whole new levels.” He sighed heavily. “I couldn’t allow that. Our cities have been fighting for far too long.” He brightened a little. “But I think you might be a special case.”

He waved a hand forward. “Now come, it’s time for you first lesson.”

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“Am I going to have to follow those Bagder-Moles around?” Sai asked nervously.

Shu frown, “No, It took me years to learn Earthbending that way.”

“Um” She said, “you learned this first.”

“Yeah,” Shu answered, “After I lost my eye. Oma did a few years later, when she started coming to caves. We can go over this later. Now we need to start the lesson.”

Shu settled himself lotus style on his rock chair. “The key to Earthbending is to be like the Earth itself. You have to stand steady and strong, until you know the right moment to strike.” He instructed.

Sai stood as Shu had showed her. She stared at the rock before her.

“How will I know when to strike?” she asked

"A true Earthbender will listen to Earth and wait for it to tell the right moment.” Shu replied. “Now repeat what I showed you.”

Sai closed her eyes and breathed. Her feet were freezing without her shoes. The stance was starting to strain her thighs. She couldn’t hear the Earth telling her anything.

“You can’t hear anything because your mind isn’t focused on the Earth.” Shu said.

Sai looked at him, startled. Shu shot her a look.

“You’re not very good at hiding what you’re feeling. Which isn’t always a bad thing. You can’t Earthbend if your mind is on anything but the rock in front of you. You need to clear your mind. Try again.”

Sai stared at the rock, eyes locked. She waited and listened. Her mind was completely on the rock. She could do this; she must do this. Something like ice water ran down her spine. She stopped and punched the rock with all her strength.

Sai swore she could hear the bones in her hand crunch. The rock didn’t move at all. She sank to her knees, biting back tears and clinging to her throbbing hand.

“Don’t give up. Quitters don’t get to be Earthbenders. It took me a decade to make this up and Oma three year to get this right. You can’t master it in a day.” Shu consoled, “Once again, now.”

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Shu discovered, that despite being about as small as a fire ferret, Sai was as heavy as any rock. Stubborn like one, too. She had insisted on staying in the cave for hours, trying to Earthbend. By the end she was so exhausted, she fell asleep on her feet.

He had watched her the entire time. She had a perfect body memory. Show her a move once and she could repeat exactly, every time. Idly, he wondered if her sister had ever been like that. Oma had told him about Jai Li, the last Panda-Lily Tai Yang kept. Oma had recognized her green-grey eyes. The ones both sisters shared. He’d tell Sai about that later. She needed time to heal. If he told her that her sister’s head was rotting in Yang’s dungeon, she might try to kill herself again.

At her camp, Shu tucked her into her bedroll. She hadn’t so much had twitched since they had left the tunnels. He picked up his shoes, closing his eyes to check one last time for nasty predators and nastier soldier. Oma had never quite mastered Earth-Scene the way he had but he could teach her given time and Sai too. His shoes and armor were in a neat little pile. Sai had straightened them before them had left. She liked to make everything very neat. He shook his head as he left the makeshift camp. As far as first students go, he couldn’t think of a better one than Sai.


	7. Frustrastion

Three weeks. Three weeks, spending every night hold up in a cave, trying to move a rock. Sai wanted to cry. She wanted to give up, to beat the ground in sheer frustration. She felt useless. Worse, she felt like she was disappointing Shu. If she kept failing, would her regret taking her on as a student? Would he abandon her or worse?

Sai stared at the rock before her, panting.

“Take a break, Sai. That rock’s not going anywhere.” Shu said dryly.

“That’s the problem.” Sai ground out.

She sat heavily on the cave floor. Her throbbing head rested in her hands.

“Maybe there’s a different move I could try.” She suggested.

Shu looked carefully at her, “I’ve shown you every move I know.” He said. “I wish Oma was here. Her style is easier.”

Sai looked up, “It is?”

Shu nodded, “I learned to Earthbend after I went half-blind, so it’s kind of hard to explain to a person with full sight. Oma learn with both eyes open, so I imagine it’s easier and more adaptable for a normal person.”

“Or at least as normal as people who can throw boulders around can get,” she said dryly.

Shu let out a soft laugh.

Sai didn’t want to talk about moving rocks right now. Her eyes traveled over Shu’s body. He had discarded his shirt and shoes like he always did for her lessons. He was tanned skin over hard muscle and every inch was covered with scars. He was unquestionably a veteran of many battles. “How did this all start?”

Shu looked at her “Earthbending?”

“No, the war. You know between Jiang and Yangtze.” Sai said

Shu frowned. “Supposedly, the Yangtze and the Jiang were once a single village with one head family. About six or seven generations ago, the leader of the village had twin sons. Nobody knew which son was born first, so no one could say who should inherit.”

“Why didn’t they just support whoever was the better leader?” Sai asked reasonably.

Shu shrugged “They did. Only, some people thought one brother was the better leader, some the other. The village was split down the middle. So, one brother got the fields and made Jiang. The other got the rivers and made Yangtze. And they traded for a while. But it was never enough. So a war broke out, and another and another. And here we are today.”

Shu sipped angrily from his skin, “I don’t know if that’s the truth. Anyone knew the real story is long dead. We don’t fight for a reason anymore. We just fight because that’s all we’ve ever done.” He drank again from his water skin.

Sai felt uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. “Then how did you and Oma fall for each other?”

Shu looked at her again, “I know I told you this. She got lost in the caves.”

“No,” Sai said “I mean why did you fall for her? You two don’t seem anything alike.”

Shu smiled “You mean she has the personality of a rabid tiger-wolf. Your half right. Oma only acts like that around strangers.” He held up a hand to stop her question. “I fell for because of the moment I first meet her. She was in a cave, the one filled with the big glowing crystals. I think she thought she was alone. She just looked so sad and desperate, I went straight up to her and asked her what was wrong.” He smiled at the memory. “She nearly clawed my good eye out. It took a while, but she eventually told me about her situation.”

“Tai Yang has a fetish for beautiful things.” He explained, “He wants only the most flawless gems and rarest flowers. The same goes for his women. When he comes across an exceptionally beautiful woman, he makes her his Panda-Lily, his royal consort.”

Rage colored Shu’s cheeks, “Oma’s father sold her to Tai Yang for an enormous amount of sum. If I ever find him...” he left the threat hanging.

“Oma had been the Panda-Lily for about six months, when Tai Yang went on inspections and she disappeared into the catacomb under the palace. Somehow she ended up in the tunnels and got completely lost. That’s when I found her. We were both pretty lonely. We started to meet regularly after that. One thing led to another and we became lovers.”

“And you never regretted it.” Sai asked.

Shu shook his head “Oma is melodramatic, ill-tempered, and harsh, and the most perfect woman I’ve ever met.”

Sai looked at Shu. His eyes were faraway and he grinned into the open air.

* * *

 

Shu swirled the water in skin. Memories of his relationship with Oma always made him feel like he was ten years younger. But that didn’t take away from his current predicament. Sai had the ability to Earthbend. The ability to be a great Earthbender, he was sure of that at least. He just needed to find a way to make her think like one.

He remembered how defeated he felt after he lost his eye. Without it, his days as a swordsman had come to an end. He’d come to these caves hoping the monsters that lived here would eat him alive and spare him the slow death of starvation that was the fate of a crippled soldier. Instead they taught him to see in a whole new way. He returned to his brigade months later, ready to fight again.  
His eye fell on the sword belt he had discarded during the training session. With a grin, he retrieved two of the knives he kept there. He turned back to Sai sat straighter, eyes as wide as a spooked rabaroo. He flashed her a bright smile.

“Don’t worry.” He said calmly. “It’s just that it’s been three weeks. I thought you would be Earthbending by now, but you can’t stay out here without something to defend yourself with.”

He tossed her a knife which Sai caught.

He cleared his throat, “Take your Ox stance.”

Sai stood, lead foot forward, the hand with the knife level with her collarbone. She had long since stopped questioning any order he gave. Shu took the same stance opposite her. He stood carefully, eyes locked on her. She stood waiting for him to strike. He darted foreword, knife snaking out to strike her side. Sai stepped back and blocked.

_“Good reflexes”_ he thought.

“Again.”

* * *

 

Sai looked up at the stars, hands behind her head. Shu always left the hour before sunset for his head call. He was a Jing, a brigade commander for Rong’s swordsmen. They had still had plenty of time for knife practice. It was comforting to know she could do something right.

Sai rolled over on her bed, trying to get comfortable. The unpleasant conversations she had with Shu were swirling inside her head, making sleep seem an ocean away. She couldn’t imagine anyone, much less her father, selling her to a stranger as a consort. It was too horrible to imagine a parent binding their daughter to someone for life against her will. But, then again, she never considered her marriage prospects. Wise Women were supposed to remain unbounded as the animals. And she had never been attractive enough for anyone to convince Grandmother to break Sai’s vow to the Spirits.

_“Jai Li was always the pretty one.”_ She thought. _“People fell in love with her at first sight. The only nice thing they said about me was I was sturdy.”_

Sai’s thoughts turned back to Shu. The smile on his face when he talked about Oma.

_“He really loves her.”_ Sai thought amazed. _“That prickly, detestable woman. I only hope Oma knows how lucky she is to have him. And I hope I can have half of that luck someday.”_

Sai drew the blankets to her chin, turned to her side and fell fast asleep.


	8. The Revelation

Sai was back on the cliff outside her home. Her back was to the ocean and her family stood at the mouth of the cave. They waved to her, shouting for her to come home. She ran toward them, but the cave started to stretch back. The harder she ran, the more they retreated. She sprinted forward, only to find herself walking on nothing.

She fell down, down into thick yellow slime. She was sinking fast. One by one figures appeared in a circle around her. A Man built of Stone in the west. A Man of Fire in armor of Lighting to the south. A woman made of Air in the east. A Woman cloaked in Waves and Ice to the north. They stood tall as trees, tall as mountains.

“Who are you?” They asked as one.

Sai couldn’t answer. The slime held her fast. It clung to her limbs, wrapped around her neck.

“Who are you?” they repeated.

The ground thudded. A fifth figure walked out of the shadowy sky. She was taller than the rest combine. Her whole body glowed dull purple. Her eyes were closed and face was in shadows. The slime pulled Sai’s head under. Dull purple hands surrounded her in a glowing bubble. The slime wouldn’t drain away. Sai’s lungs burned.

“WHO ARE YOU?” the figures shouted again.

Sai’s breath left her. The slime rushed into her body. It tasted like fear, like blood, like hate. The slime wrapped around her.

* * *

“This one’s jumpin’ like a fish.” A man said.

“Good thing we got her in the net than.” Another laughed.

Sai couldn’t move. She was back at her camp on the mountain, but she still felt the heavy slime wrapped around her. The dream was a fading memory. She looked at the two men who had captured her. They weren’t General Rong’s soldiers. Their uniforms were pale yellow with light tan leather armor. They leered at her with crooked teeth.

“You’re going on a little trip, dearie.” The older one said with a laugh.

* * *

  
“This is humiliating.” Sai thought.

The soldiers had tied her, hand and foot, and flung her over a shoulder like dead game.

“Where are you taking me?” She demanded, after several hours.

The older soldier laughed “Dearie, you’re in no position to be asking anything.” He straighten and preened. “But as I’m feeling generous, I’ll tell you. You’re going to Yangtze village, to see King Tai Yang. He’ll decide what to do with you. He decides what to do will everyone who trespasses in our lands.”

The soldier carrying Sai ran a hand over her backside. She stiffed and started thrashing. The two soldiers laughed riotously.

“Don’t get so jumpy.” The older one said sweetly. “You’ll know what happens soon enough. We’ll be at Yangtze within an hour. Wouldn’t want you to get tired now, would we?”

Yangtze village wasn’t in much better shape than Jiang. The buildings and people were in just as weary and ragged looking. The same suspicious eyes followed her as she was carried through town. The only difference Sai could see was that the soldiers here wore yellow and tan instead of brown. The soldiers marched deep into the village. She had to get out of here. She tugged at the ropes on her wrists but they held fast.

 _“I have to get my knife.”_ She thought.

_“How?”_

The stupid traitor voice was back.

Sai landed on her behind, hard. The soldiers had dropped her in the courtyard of a lavish palace. They were talking to a guard at the door to the palace proper. The guard was unimpressed as the soldiers argued with him. Sai watched in morbid curiously as the older soldier went red in the face. Finally the older and the younger stalked back to the village. The palace guard hauled Sai to her feet and dragged her through the doorway.

The guard led her to the center of the palace. Through a pair of double doors the color of wildflowers, Sai saw a familiar face, Oma, seated next to someone who could only be King Tai Yang. Shu was right; he loved beautiful things. He sat on a shiny throne of a strange yellow color, worked to be as delicate as a spider web and inlaid with some pale white material that sparkled with a multitude of colors. Oma sat on a pale green pillow behind him, staring at her hands, her cloths, hair, and makeup perfect. Tai Yang’s sky blue robes nearly outshone the jewelry made of the same shiny yellow something he wore.

Despite his opulent trappings, Tai Yang himself was ugly. Not like her, merely plain. He was truly unpleasant to look at. His face was a shriveled brown gourd that sat on a nearly round body. The eyes that appraised her were beady, black and sunken. His hands were gnarled with stumpy finger. Even seated, she could see he must have been at least a head shorter than Sai.

“Well, what do we have here?” Tai Yang asked, harsh as a cat-crow.

The guard at Sai’s shoulder spoke. “This girl was found in the mountain range. The soldiers who found her said there was evidence she had been there for several weeks at least.”

Tai Yang inspected her, thoughtfully. Sai glared back at him. He smiled broadly.

“I thought you looked familiar. It’s those green eyes. You have the same eyes as my last Panda-Lily.”

Sai stiffened. Tai Yang didn’t notice. He just sighed. “Only you’re not so pretty as Jai Li was. Young as she was, I liked her a great deal. I was even a little sad when I got rid of her for Oma here.”

Sai stared at her hands which had curled into fists.

“What do we do with her, My Lord?” The guard asked.

Tai Yang shrugged. “I don’t care in the slightest. Just get her out of here.”

The guard nodded. Just as Sai was dragged to her feet, a door on the side of the room burst open. A soldier entered and kneeled before Tai Yang.

“Your wish has been fulfilled, Your Grace.” The soldier said.

Tai Yang clapped his hands. “Very good. I do love when threats like this are handle quickly. Bring it in.”

The soldier nodded and whistled. A group of four soldiers walked in with a flat disk of stone covered in undyed cloth. The leader of the soldiers got up and removed the cloth with a bow. Sai’s blood turned to ice. Sitting on the center of the disk was Shu’s severed head.


	9. Relief

When she was first brought here to be a Panda-Lily, Oma felt smothered, by the pressure of pleasing the cankerous old man who had kidnapped her, and knowing what would happen if she failed. She had been shown the rotting heads of the Panda-lilies who failed. Some days, she felt like a mountain stood on her chest. Other she wanted to throw it all way and stab that awful old man in the eye. Most days she just let herself be empty, nothing inside her to hurt.

Those feelings left her the day she met Shu. He had lifted that weight from her shoulders and filled her with a lightness and joy she had never imagined.  
Shu had always wanted to teach others their skill but Oma knew it was foolish to try. Gifts like theirs were one of a kind. Oma knew Shu would try to teach Sai. She hoped that after a few weeks, he would realize it was useless and give up. They still visited each other and that lightness stayed within her, so she keep quiet. Teaching Sai made Shu happy. And if she made him happy, Oma felt like she was walking on clouds. Staring at Shu’s head, Oma felt that lightness evaporated, leaving a twisted mountain where her heart had been. A buzzing filled her ears. She knew what had to be done. The only thing she could do.

* * *

Sai stared at Shu’s head.

“How could anyone had defeated him?” She thought.

Tai Yang noticed where she was looking at. He grinned at her. “When my general told me that one of the so-called soldiers in Rong’s army had somehow defeated a whole brigade of my men by throwing boulders at them, I thought he’d gone mad.” He laughed cruelly. “You won’t believe how shocked I was when I discovered he was right. I don’t know how Rong did this but it’s backfired on him. As we speak my whole army is marching towards Jiang to wipe that pit of the face of the planet once and for all. And Rong’s head will hang right next to his little secret weapon’s.”

“He actually tried to talk us into surrendering and joining up with him.” The lead soldier piped in. He shook his head. “We had two arrows in him before he started with that rock throwing.”

“Earthbending”

All eyes went to Oma. She had spoken in the lowest whisper. She looked up, tears running down her face.

“It’s called Earthbending, not rock throwing” She said, low and harsh. “And his name is Shu.”

Tai Yang smiled thinly “And how would know any of this, my lovely little Lily?” he purred at her.

“I know his name because I love him,” Oma said, voice hard as iron.

Tai Yang spluttered “Loved him?!”

“And I know it’s called Earthbending because. **I. CREATED. IT**.”

Leaping to her feet, Oma pressed both palms down, arms straight. The soldiers, even the guard behind Sai, were sucked into the ground. Tai Yang fell back from Oma, who turned slowly to face him.

“You.” Her voice was still low and soft, tight with barely control anger. “You took everything from me.” Oma smiled sweetly at him. “It’s only fitting that I return the favor.”

Oma swung her arms in a graceful arc. The ground beneath Tai Yang jolted and rose to the ceiling in an instance. Sai ducked out of the way as his broken body. She grabbed the knife in her belt and began to saw through her bonds. Oma was still Bending. She didn’t just want to kill Tai Yang; she wanted to destroy everything in her path.

“Oma, please,” Sai shouted. “You have to calm down. Shu wouldn’t want this.”

Oma jabbed her hand forward, a pillar of rock shot out of the ground and pinned Sai to the wall.

“Don’t talk to me about Shu.” Her voice a low hiss. Oma turned her back on the room and Sai. Her hair had fallen from its knot to tangle in her face. She looked like a Spirit Queen of the Underworld with her pitch black hair and face streaked white, black, and grey.

“If you hadn’t showed up, Shu wouldn’t be dead.” She screamed to the heavens. Her face was contorted into blind rage. “But now he is. He’s died and it because of you and you need to pay for it.” Oma raised both arms sharply; another pillar of rock shot up under her feet. Oma rode it through the open roof and straight into the sky.

Sai struggled to escape as Oma moved the Earth pillar forward. Oma’s grief was raging inside her and it demanded to be let out. If Sai didn’t hurry, Oma would destroy anything or anyone she held responsible. If Oma was anything like the kind of woman Shu would love, she’d never forgive herself for the destruction she caused. Finally, Sai slipped out from under the pillar and started running after Oma.

* * *

  
“Blood must pay for blood.” Oma though, looking out at the village. “Blood must pay for blood. Blood must pay for blood.”

The words repeated themselves in her head. They were a soothing lullaby. Breathing deeply, Oma place her hands at waist level and raised them both sharply.

* * *

  
Sai ran through the village, pushing through the crowds. Her feet started to bleed. She’d left her sandals back at her camp. She ignored the pain and kept running. She couldn’t see Oma anywhere. She had to find her. She had to protect Oma from herself, for Shu’s sake. The ground shuddered under Sai’s feet. She stumbled and fell into the man in front of her.

“I’m sorry.” She panted. “I’m looking for a friend named Oma. Have you…Sheng?!”

“You’re that girl from Jiang.” Sheng looked as shocked as she felt. “What are you doing here? And why are you looking for Tai Yang’s Panda-Lily?”

“How do you know that?” Sai demanded.

“There’s only one woman named Oma in the whole village.” Sheng explained. “Now why are you looking for her?”

Sai thought about it. “There’s too much to explain right now. I just need to find her now.”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen her.” Sheng looked genuinely sad. “Wait, maybe I could ask…”

A second larger tremor rippled over the village. The ground reared and jerked. People came screaming out of their homes looking around in fearful awe. Pillars as large as a room shot out of the ground and rose as tall as trees into the air. Sheng hurried to help people get to the safety of the streets. Everyone was screaming “Earth Tremor.” Sai looked for Oma.

There she was wobbling down the street like a drunken ghost. Every so often she would stop and destroy something, a statue, a cart, someone’s home. Oma smiled at Sai. A cracked, vicious smile. Sai, hands held by her head, approached Oma.

“Oma, you have to stop. You haven’t killed anyone but Tai Yang and his soldiers. You can come back from this.” Sai said calmly.

“There’s no coming back from this, Sai.” Oma laughed harshly. “I don’t have anything I want to come back to.”

“Please.” Sai cried. “Shu is dead. My sister is dead. Killing anyone else won’t help.”

Oma giggled. “You’re wrong there. Someone needs to die. Right here, Right Now.”

“It won’t help.” Sai took a deep shuttering breathe. “Please, For Shu.”

Oma stared at Sai for a long moment, her streaked face softening. But just for a moment.

“This is for Shu.” Oma stated.

Oma placed both palms at waist level, closed her eyes and began to breathe deeply. The people around Sai looked at Oma with fear, waiting for the next stage of her rampage. On her fourth breath, Oma opened her eyes and brought both hands above her head, her left foot moving back. A boulder, as large as an Ostrich-horse across, lifted straight into the air above all their heads. With another breath, Oma brought both hands back down again, and boulder fell back to earth. Straight at Sheng.

Sai didn’t think, just acted. She pushed Sheng out of the way and took a stance. She breathed, eyes closed, count one, count two, count three. Something ran up along body, feet to head, hot and cold and powerful. Sai pulled back her hand, palm open fingers curled, and meet the boulder with every ounce of strength she had. It dissolved into dust before it had even touched her.

Sai opened her eyes. Sheng, Oma, and every one of the villagers looked at her in shock. Sai strengthened her stance. She could feel the Earth around her, ready and eager to obey.

“It’s over, Oma.” Sai said, calmly. “Anything you give, I can give back tenfold.”

Oma grinned cracked, “Alright then. Give me your best shot.”

Oma and Sai stared each other while the villagers looked on in horror. Both women waited for Earth to speak to them. Oma moved first, quick jabs sending pebbles shooting hard enough to rip through flesh. Sai raised a wall to protect herself and the villagers. Sai pushed the villagers back trying to get them away from the carnage. Oma was fighting full force, throwing boulders and mountains at Sai, who crushed or returned them with equal force. But Oma was faster than Sai though and dogded nearly everything thrown at her. But the more experienced woman didn’t block anything. Didn’t even try. Sai caught sight of Oma’s face, wild, manic, desperate. Finally, she understood. Sai slammed both feet into the ground, sending up a dust cloud that covered everything.

Oma started coughing. Sai raced through the cloud towards the older woman’s hacking form, pulling the knife from her belt. Not one second later the dust cleared and the two women were face to face. The Panda-Lily looked at Sai, tears streaming down her painted face, than to the knife the younger woman held to her white throat.

“Well.” Oma whispered softly, a dare. “Do it.”

“I won’t help you kill yourself, Oma.” Sai whispered back. She straighten and backed away from her.

Oma shrieked, a raw, pained cry, and tore the flowers from her hair, “If you don’t kill me now, I swear I will kill everyone in this damn village.”

“Fine.” Sai sheathed her knife and stood in front of Oma, “Kill them and Kill the Jiang and Kill everyone you meet. I’m the only person left how can kill you and I refuse to do it.”

Oma snarled at her. Sai refused to look away. For a long moment, both Earthbender stared at each other than the older women broke.

“I couldn’t save him.” She sobbed. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.” She kept repeating the words, a sob, a prayer.

Sai rushed to the sobbing woman’s side. She start to rub soothing circle into Oma’s back, murmured softly, “It doesn’t matter, Oma.”

“Yes, it does.” She spit out between sobs, her face buried in Sai’s shirt. Sai started to stroke her black hair as she cried. “He wanted to teach others. He wanted to end this a long time ago. If I hadn’t convinced… if I hadn’t ordered him not to, he’d be alive.”

“It’s okay, Oma,” Sai murmured, “The past is the past. May you could have saved him. Maybe I could have saved Jai Li. We focus on people we didn’t save.”

Oma’s sobs quieted to soft hiccups. Sai waved to the villagers, motioning for water. Most pulled back from the women who could throw boulders like pebbles. Sheng and one of the braver women carried over a bucket and a cleaning cloth. Sai took both with whispered thanks. She held a dish of water to the crying woman’s mouth and gave her tiny sips. She gave Oma the cloth to wipe the tears and paint from her face.  
Her beautiful face was swollen and blotchy. There was a cut along her cheekbone and a bruise forming under one eye. She swallowed carefully. Her throat must be raw.

“I don’t have anything left in me.” The former Panda-Lily stated.

Sai smiled weakly, “I know. I felt just like that when Grandmother died.”

“What the hell do I do now?” She asked Sai.

“What the hell do we do?” The younger woman corrected,

The younger woman glanced between Oma and the villagers, who stared at the two of them with awe, fear, and reverence. Sai smiled, a wonderfully impossible idea forming in her mind

“When you have nothing else, find a new path.” she stated finally.

* * *

  
General Rong, Leader of the Jiang and veteran of two hundred battles, sat in his command tent listening to the squabbles of his commanders.

“We should come in from the south,” one of the younger officers stated, “Strike where their defenses are weak.”

“No, from the east” croaked another of his men, “We can’t trust the reports. Remember the battle of Shoaling Canyon.”

Rong half listened to his men as they squabble. He was thinking off the message that mad old King Tai Yang sent. He raved about secret weapons, plans to destroy Yangtze, and an army of soldiers who could control the Earth itself like an ostrich-horse. Utter nonsense. But the King had said in no uncertain terms that this was the end of Jiang City. His armies were raised and his soldiers were marching to Jiang village as they spoke.

Rong had raised his own army the moment he received the messenger. No time for complaints. If the message was true, then Tai Yang had every intention to burn Jiang to the ground. The only place to stop the Yangtze march was here in the Senguo Valley. If this failed, there would be nothing left of Jiang. A tap on the arm knocked him out of his private thoughts of doom. Even man in the tent was staring at him, including a harried looking front line soldier. He stood, silent question directed at the young messenger.

The boy snapped a salute, “General Rong, there’s a woman who asked for you and the Yangtze General to come to the center of the battlefield.”

“What does this women want?” one of Rong’s senior officers asked. “Who is she to demand anything of Generals?”

“It’s two women actually.” The soldier shook his head, “The one who spoke claimed…” the boy dropped. He looked embarrassed to say what this woman claimed. Rong leveled his gaze at the boy. He coughed and fidgeted until he finally spoke.

“She claimed to be the Queen of the Yangtze.”

Rong snorted, “A Queen. Of Yangtze.” He lifted his old bones out of his chair, “This I have to see with my own eyes.”

There was a strip of barren land between the seas of brown and tan that were the Jiang and Yangtze armies. It was where the battle for their villages would take place later that day. After they dealt with the two delusional young women. They were nothing like the warrior-queen Rong had expected. One was tall and delicate, a porcelain beauty. The other one was shorter and had the sturdy, tanned look of a farm girl before the drought had struck. Both looked like they had been mauled be something rabid and neither of them looked like they could pick up a sword, much less swing one. The beauty was unarmed though the farm girl had a small knife tucked into her belt. One of his officer’s knives.

Rong looked at both of them as he dismounted from his ostrich-horse and walked towards them. He could see the Yangtze General following his lead. The two women were talking. The shorter one seemed to be reassuring the beauty. Both Generals stopped and looked expectantly at the women. The beauty came forward to meet them.

She took a deep breath and spoke,

“I am Oma, Queen of the Yangtze and the Jiang.” She pronounced, loud and deliberate.

Rong contemplated the young woman who had made such a bold claim.

“You are not.” The Yangtze General shouted, “You’re Tai Yang’s slut.”

“Not anymore.” Oma glared distastefully at him. “Tai Yang’s dead. I’m the ruler of the Yangtze now.”

“Even if that’s true, I’m the King of Yangtze now. Not you.”

Oma and the General continued to go back and forth, each claiming to be the rightful ruler of the Yangtze. Rong interrupted after a few minutes.

“What gives you the right to claim either of our villages?” he asked.

Oma turned from the General to look at him.

“General Rong, You are older than any man I’ve ever met. Can you remember a time when there was no war between our villages?”

He shook his head, “We’ve been at war for longer than my grandfather could remember.”

“Exactly.” She stated, “We have fought for too long. Our war has claimed too many lives, fathers, brothers, sons, and…” she touched heart and swallowed, “Lovers. Please, if you have a shred of honor left, end this war and help to rebuild this land for all of our people.”

Rong waited for the Yangtze’s reply.

“I will throw away my pride and join those savages.” The General sneered.

“Typical Yangtze.” Rong turned back to Oma, “I’m sorry but if the Yangtze don’t concede neither can we.” He turned to his messenger. “Call the troops.”

The Yangtze mounted his steed, “Soldiers of Yangtze,” He called, “To arms.”

Oma glance between the two leaders, than to the farm girl. She nodded at the supposed Queen and moved back. Oma took another deep breath.

“This is your last chance,” she stated, “Stop this battle and grant leadership of your villages to me and I will give you both positions in my new government. If you refuse, I will destroy your armies and personally take both your heads.”

Her pale green eyes were level and deadly serious. The Yangtze General laughed so hard he practically fell from his mount. Rong looked at her kindly,

“We’ve all lost people to this war.” He said sadly, “But you have no army, no weapons, no claim to anything.”

“Then neither of you will surrender?” She asked coldly

“No” The General laughed

“No” Rong admitted

“Very Well.” Oma nodded to the farm girl.

Almost before he could register the movement, both women stomped their feet in unison. The ground beneath them jolted and shook. Rock pillars rose into the air, taller than trees. They boxed in their armies. The soldiers screamed, sure that a Spirit of the Earth had come to punish them for their crimes. Rong fell back, drawing his sword. The women continued their graceful dance. They stomped their feet and more pillars and walls arose. They swayed their arms, the ground bolted, shaping itself to their wills.

The common soldiers on both sides had dashed forward to stare at the forest of pillars and walls that these women had conjured. Oma finished her dance and came to stand before them both again, dripping with sweat.

“Will you admit you are outmatched” she panted “or would you like to see more of my Earthbending?”

The Yangtze General nodded, his whole body shaking from the toe.

Rong nodded as well. He could understand he was badly outmatched.

* * *

 

Oma grinned foolishly at Sai. This insane, brilliant, wonderful plan actually worked. Sai smiled right back at her and gestured for Oma to address her new subjects.

The new Queen of the Yangtze and the Jiang paused, trying to sort out what she wanted to say. She looked at the crowd of soldiers. They were awed, pointing at the pillars and walls like they couldn’t believe they had seen them come into existence.

“Enough!” Oma proclaimed.  
Her voice was magnified by the canyon walls. Every Soldier in both armies stared as the woman who could command the Earth with her dance spoke. “Our cities have warred for five generation. This conflict has lost any meaning it once had. Today, I say no more. The war has gone on for far too long. Too many people have lost friends, family, and lovers to this senseless conflict.”

She paused taking in the sea of faces around her, every eye turned to her.

“You have seen what I have done. You know I could destroy you all with a swipe of my hand. But I won’t. There has been too much wrongdoing on both sides. Today, I give you all the chance to start over. To anyone who is tired of bloodshed and poverty, I say come with me. Let us found a village of our own. One free from conflict and spite. One safe from Warlords and mad kings. Come with me and let us live in peace!”


	10. New Home

Sai breathed rhythmically, staring at the man across the arena. His stance was steady but his left leg was injured in the war and it was starting to pain him. She stomped hard, a good sized rock popping up from the earth. With a punch, Sai sent it shooting at the man. He dodged right and she took the opening. Digging her hand into the earth, she shot a wave of soften dirt at his good leg. He slipped and his stance cracked. She closed the distance between them and grabbed his tunic at the throat, hooking her foot behind his bad leg. Her hand was raised to deliver a fatal blow.

The man gasped, eyes wildly looking for a way out. Finally, he raised his hands in defeat. Sai smiled and brought her hands to her waist. The crowd assembled in the stadium started cheering and stomping. Sai had been the universal favorite to win the tournament. She waved at the crowd. Sai looked to the private box set high in the stands and bowed to her Earthbending Master, her Queen, and her friend.

Oma got to her feet, and proclaimed:

“Citizens of Omashu, we have our winner. Sai, stand proud. Today, I name you Earthbending master.”

The crowd’s cheering drowned out anything else Oma had to say.

* * *

  
As usual, Sai sat at the left hand of Queen Oma during the meetings of the city council.

“The aqueduct construction is ahead of schedule and the wheat farmers expect a bumper crop this year.” Oma’s chancellor said from his seat at the far end of the table. “It’s a good thing, too. We have another hundred refugees asking for Your Majesty for asylum.”

“Another hundred,” Oma said, shocked, “where do these people keep coming from?” she asked the room. Rong remained silent. He never spoke unless it was about security. Sai honestly didn’t know.

Chancellor Wei supplied the answer. “Word of our city has spread, Your Majesty. Many families see Omashu as a sanctuary in this troubled time. I’m sure Your Majesty will review their petitions and grant asylum to those worthy.”

Oma waved a hand “Yes, Wei, I will do that immediately. How is the integration of the new citizens with Jiang and Yangtze citizens going?”

“Quite well, the civilians and commons soldiers don’t care who we invite into the city.” General Rong answered from his seat opposite Sai. As head of Her Majesty’s Army, it was his job to oversee the safe and wellbeing of the city. “It’s the officers who complain.”

“And I suppose you’ll keep them in line, General.” Oma asked coyly.

The general puffed out his chest, “Course, Your Majesty.”

Oma smiled shaking her head. “And how are the Earthbending Lessons going? How many people signed up this month?”

“We have about three dozen new potentials and a little more than twenty have agreed to training.” Sai answered this time. “They’re not all soldiers either. One woman I talked to wanted to set up a series of stone slides to let someone go anywhere in the city.”

Rong frowned, “How would a non-Earthbender use these slides?”

“She didn’t say. I told her she needed to work on the idea.”

Oma sank into her throne, “Is there anything else for today?”

Wei ducked his head in a bow. “No, Your Majesty.”

“Good,” Oma said. She shooed the council out with a gesture. “Now go do something fun. You deserve it.”

Rong left with a short bow. Off to cross swords or draw up defense plans.

Wei bowed again “Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll go review the accounting books.” He said with genuine glee.

He turned and scurried out of the room with one more bow to Oma.

Oma looked after Wei with mild concern. “I’m starting to think I never should have let that man in my city. He’s a damn good administrator but anyone who thinks accounting books are fun has got to be insane.”

Rong snorted from the doorway.

Sai smiled from her seat, “If you hadn’t let him in, he would have been eaten by those rabid tigerdillos. And he is good at detail work.”

Oma sighed and ran fingers through her hair. “As usual your right, Sai.” Oma wiggled her fingers at Sai, grinning wickedly. “Come on, I want to visit Shu. I don’t get to see him nearly enough.”

* * *

  
His Royal Highness, Prince Shu the Second, of the city of Omashu was trying to catch cave hoppers. Sai watched the Queen of Omashu dashed after the child just before he fell and scrapped something.

“He looks so much like Shu.” Sai thought with a smile. “I hope Oma doesn’t spoil him too much because of it. Not that I’m helping.”

He cuddled into Oma’s chest as she carried him back to the tunnel mouth. Sai stood at the mouth of the cave watching Oma and Shu hurry to meet her. It was the place where Oma had met the first Shu. Where they had fallen in love and conceived the child that clung to his mother. And it was the place where the first Shu had been laid to rest.

Oma set Shu down in front of his father’s grave. Shu reached out one chubby toddler hand to touch the engravings on the stone. Oma looked sadly at the tomb.

“I wish you could have seen this Shu. It’s all because of you.” Oma whispered. “My one and only King of Omashu.” She kissed the headstone gently.

Sai put a hand on Oma’s shoulder like that day on the battlefield so long ago.

Oma looked at Sai tearfully, and pulled her into a hug “I’m glad I meet you, my friend.”

The women broke apart at a tugging on Sai’s pants. Young Prince Shu raised his arms, cooing. He wanted a hug, too. The women smiled, scooped him up and left the cave laughing.

* * *

  
Sai was standing on the wall outside Omashu at dawn. The construction work had quieted, and the city had yet to wake. She looked at the half formed city. It was rough and gawky but it was a young city. Time would smooth it into something beautiful. Something she had helped create.

A blast of wind caught her off guard. Sai turned to fight and found an enormous red dragon staring back at her. They gazed at each other for a long moment, gold eyes meeting green ones. The dragon nodded and dived to the canyon floor. Sai dashed to the edge of the wall. Instead of the vast canyon that surrounded Omashu, she found herself looking at a chain of islands from the distant heavens. The largest had arms that curled around a vast sea and mountains that belched thick black ash. The view came closer to the Island and a city come into focus. She memorized the features: Tall white buildings with peaked red roof at the foot of one of the smoking mountains, a road twisting like a lazy snake down to a crescent bay. The dragon circled the city once, then flew back at Sai. It coiled around her, its head looming above her; it opened its maw and engulfed her in an inferno. Sai sat bolt upright in her bed. The predawn light filtered through her gauzy curtains. She regarded the city with sleepy eyes and sighed.

* * *

  
Sai walked along the outer wall to the spot she had stood in her dream. She looked out into the canyon and waited for whatever would come.

“Missing something?” a voice said behind her.

Sai spun around to see Oma standing calmly on the wall. Oma looked out of the city.

“I always love looking at the city at dawn. It reminds me of the new beginning we made here.” Oma said, than she turned Sai and smile. “But you’re not here for the view, are you?”

Sai stumbled for an answer, any answer. Oma held up a hand.

“I know you’re leaving. I knew from the moment I meet you, you would never stay here long.” Oma smiled weakly. “This is my home, Sai. I’m as rooted here as a mountain. But you.” The Queen shook her head.

“You have a destiny. It will lead you to places that many people could never even imagine.”

Oma picked up a heavy pack next to her. “Here. You’ll need this.”

Oma held out the pack to her. Sai was speechless. She took the pack from Oma and slung it across her back; Turned her back on Oma and Omashu.

“One more thing,” Oma put a hand on Sai’s shoulder. The other produced a necklace from her queenly robes. It was a thick green choker with a flat crystal disk. Etched on the disk was the royal seal of Omashu.

Oma gently fasten it around Sai’s neck. The disk came to rest in the hollow of her throat. “To let the world know that no matter where you go or what you do, Omashu will always be your ally and that I will always be your friend.”

Sai stared at Oma. Both eyes sparkled with unshed tears. The queen of Omashu opened her arms and wrapped Sai in a tight embrace. They held it for a long moment. When the two women broke apart, they made no effort to hide their tears.

A fierce wind tugged at their clothes. Sai and Oma rushed to the edge of the wall. The crimson dragon from Sai’s dream flew up from the canyon. It landed lightly next to the two women. Oma gave Sai’s arm a reassuring squeeze. She shrugged, settling the pack across her shoulders, and clambered to sit at the base of the dragon’s neck. The dragon leaped over the edge of the wall without warning and began to fly away to a far-flung corner of the world. Sai looked back until she couldn’t see Omashu; until the city she had called home for two years had disappeared behind the mountains. Sai breathed a sigh of longing, and turned into the wind. She set eyes to her destination. To the next step in her Path.


End file.
